The Enchanted Pool

I. Answer the following questions:

1) Who did Yudhistira ask to look for water?

Answer:
Yudhistira asked Nakula to look for water.

2) Why do you think Nakula was happy when he got to the place?
Answer:
When Nakula got to the place there was a pool of water. So he was very
happy to quench his thirst.

3) Can you give another word for “transparent” which means almost the
same?
Answer:
‘Clear’ is another word for ‘transparent’.

4) Why do you think Nakula did not obey the voice?

Answer:
Nakula wanted to drink water first to quench his thirst. Therefore he did not
obey the voice of the Yaksha.

5) What happened to Nakula when he drank the water?

Answer:
When Nakula drank the water, he began to feel terribly drowsy and fell
down, to all appearance dead.

6) Why did Yudhistira send Sahadeva to see what the matter was?
Answer:
Yudhistira had sent Nakula to bring water. But Nakula did not return for a
long time. Therefore he sent Sahadeva to see what the matter was.

7) Why did Sahadeva meet the same fate as Nakula?

Answer:
Sahadeva also did not care for the warning of the bodiless voice.
Therefore he met the same fate as Nakula.
8) What did Arjuna see when he got to the pool?
Answer:
Arjuna saw his brothers Nakula, Sahadeva lying dead, when he got to the
pool.

9) Why do you think the voice did not allow Arjuna to drink water?
Answer:
The voice did not allow Arjuna to drink water because he ignored its
warning and wanted to quench his thirst first.

10) Why did invisible being laugh at Arjuna?

Answer:
Arjuna became angry and shot sharp arrows in the direction of the voice,
but the arrows couldn’t kill it. Therefore the invisible being laughed at
Arjuna.

11) If you were Yudhistira how many questions would you be able to
answer?
Answer:
If I were Yudhistira I would be able to answer five or six questions.

12)Why did Yama take the form of Yaksha?

Answer:
Yama took the form of Yaksha because he might see his son, Yudhistira,
and test him.

13) What is that abondoning which man becomes loved by all?

Answer:
It is ‘Pride’. By abondoning it man becomes loved by all.

14) What is the answer of Yudhistira to the question, ‘Who rescues man in
danger?’
Answer:
‘Courage’ is the answer of Yudhistira to the question, ‘who rescues man in
danger?’

II. Answer the following questions in 2 or 3 sentences:

1) What was the warning of Yaksha to Yudhistira?

Answer:
‘‘Your brothers died because they did not heed my words. Do not follow
them. Answer my questions first and then quench your thirst. This pool is
mine.” This was the warning of Yaksha to Yudhistira.

2) Do you observe any difference between Arjuna and Yudhistira in their

responses to the invisible voice.
Answer:
Yes, there was difference between Arjuna and Yudhistira in their
responses to the invisible voice. As soon as Arjuna heard the warning of
invisible voice he became angry and shot sharp arrows at the direction of
the voice. Being accentric, he wanted to destroy it, where as Yudhistira
was calm in handling the situation. He saw a possible way of reediming the
that situation.

3) Why do you think all the brothers fell unconcious when they drank the
water?
Answer:
Yaksha wanted to test the Pandava brothers. He warned them to answer
his questions before they drank the water. But all of them disobeyed his
warnings. So, Yaksha cast a spell on all the brothers and they fell
unconscious when they drank the water.

4) According to Yudhistira, mind is faster than wind. Do you agree with

him?
Answer:
Yes, I agree with Yudhistira, that mind is faster than the wind. If we think
about a distance place, thing of person, immediately within a second we
can get a vision in our mind.

5) Why do you think the Yaksha gave Yudhistira a boon?

Answer:
The choice that the Yaksha gave to Yudhistira was that one of his dead
brothers could be revived. As he was pleased by the answers given by
Yudhistira.

6) Why did Yudhistira choose Nakula in preference to Bhima?

Answer:
Yudhistira’s father had two wives namely Kunti and Madri. He was the Son
of Kunti, and was already surviving. Nakula was the Son of Madri who was
not alive. Therefore he chose Nakula in preference to Bhima, though he
was his loving brother. He stood for his impartial justice.